Don Young sorry for ‘poor choice of words’

Rep. Don Young apologized Friday for using the term “wetbacks” in an interview earlier this week — his second response to the issue that came only after a firestorm of criticism from his own party leaders.

“I apologize for the insensitive term I used during an interview in Ketchikan, Alaska,” Young said in a statement. “There was no malice in my heart or intent to offend; it was a poor choice of words. That word, and the negative attitudes that come with it, should be left in the 20th century, and I’m sorry that this has shifted our focus away from comprehensive immigration reform.”

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Mike Allen: Don Young's 'wetback' comment fodder for GOP critics

“My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes,” Young, an Alaska Republican, told a local radio station in a story posted Thursday. “It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.”

Young’s comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview in which he slammed regulations and offered his own prescriptions for the economy. The word “wetback” is a slur often used to refer to undocumented immigrants, especially those from Mexico.

“During a sit-down interview with Ketchikan Public Radio this week, I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California,” he said in a statement later Thursday. “I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays, and I meant no disrespect.”

Young went on to praise the role migrant workers play in society and called for the country to address immigration reform.

“Migrant workers play an important role in America’s workforce, and earlier in the said interview, I discussed the compassion and understanding I have for these workers and the hurdles they face in obtaining citizenship,” the statement continued. “America must once and for all tackle the issue of immigration reform.”